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Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Sigma DP2 Review

By Ken Tanaka

Few cameras have faced the great expectations that Sigma’s DP1, and now the DP2, compact cameras have faced. Sigma’s own marketing tag line certainly fuels these expectations: "A Full-Spec Compact Digital Camera With All The Power of DSLR." I never touched a DP1, turned away by widespread stories of poor usability. But I was eager to take a look at its successor, the DP2.

What follows are my impressions of the Sigma DP2. Note that my evaluation of the DP2 took place within the context of my existing compact cameras; a Canon Powershot G10 and a Leica D-Lux 4 (a chichi version of the the Panasonic DMC-LX3), hence the references to these other cameras.

In briefTrue to Sigma’s marketing claims the DP2 is capable of producing a high-quality low-to-moderate-ISO image file very comparable to that of a DSLR with an APS-C sensor. Indeed the DP2’s images can often best those of other cameras in the DP2’s size/price class. I must qualify this claim, however, by noting that obtaining optimal image quality from the DP2 is not always a predictable proposition.

What I found most surprising and disappointing was the DP2’s flimsy build and feel. The camera does not feel at all like a $650 camera marketed in 2009. (Sigma’s list price on the DP2 is actually a whopping $870.) It feels like a somewhat cheaply produced product below the industrial design standards of today’s higher-end compact cameras.

Image qualityThe Sigma DP2’s primary marketing claim is anchored in the performance of its 20.7mm x 13.8mm Foveon X3 sensor. (That sensor is approximately 6 to 7 times larger than the sensors in the Canon G10 and the Leica D-Lux 4.) Indeed, as some of the out-of-the-camera samples shown here suggest, the DP2 can do a nice job in this department. Images tend to be very crisp, extraordinarily noiseless at ISOs up to 800, and rich with detail.

The most significant DP2 image issues I encountered related to color casts and vignettes. The Foveon sensor seems to have a strong green bias. Raw images captured with auto white balance and the camera’s "standard" color profile are generally very cool and often show a slightly green overcast. They are also somewhat flat and undersaturated, contrary to the over-saturated Velvia-style samples that Sigma presents in its promotional brochure and website. While this is a relatively easily correctable characteristic, the DP2's tendency to also render greenish vignettes, or edge tints, is not so simple to correct. (See the Picasso sculpture image below for an example.) This quirk is rather unpredictable, although it seems more frequent at wider apertures.

Note the slight greenish cast in the far corners.

As a side note, I was struck by how similar these DP2’s image quirks can be to those of the Leica M8 rangefinder, which can often produce cyan edge tints on images captured with uncoded wide-angle lenses.

BuildHaving been a long-time Canon G7, G9, and now G10 user, I have come to expect a very solid build in my compact cameras. Those cameras feel as if they’ve been hewn from solid blocks of aluminum. Even my Leica D-Lux 4 feels quite substantial. So I was surprised and disappointed with the DP2’s tinny, hollow build quality. I fully expect that a 3-foot fall to the pavement would instantly disintegrate a DP2 into a parts list. The DP2 just does not feel like a substantial camera.

Lens and focusingThe DP2’s 41mm single-focal length lens is the camera’s true star. Its sharpness, contrast, and nearly non-existent distortion are very reminiscent of some M-mount rangefinder lenses. The DP2’s terrific lens performance is one Sigma marketing claim that I can wholeheartedly confirm.

Unfortunately the DP2’s auto-focus performance is quite slow and weak. I would have expected the DP2’s fixed-focal length lens to be snappy in this department. But it can spend seconds hunting, even in well-lit scenes, and often completely wanders away in dimmer scenes. The DP2‘s manual focusing system is actually pretty good due mainly to a dedicated focus wheel. It would be much better, however, if the camera’s LCD screen was up to current-day specs.

It’s also worth noting, and warning prospective owners about, that the DP2’s focusing mechanism is loud...actually, very loud. The camera croaks, wheezes, and groans as the lens is focused either automatically or manually. I was startled by this noise when I shot the first frame. Who would expect this little camera to be as obtrusive as a growling stomach in quiet settings?

LCD screenThe past one or two generations of cameras have featured some gorgeous, large, high-resolution LCD screens. The Leica D-Lux 4 and Canon G10 both feature 3-inch 460K screens. But the DP2’s screen is only a 2.5" 230K LCD. It’s almost impossible to become comfortable with such a small, coarse screen after using one of these other cameras. Making this worse, however, is the fact that the DP2’s screen evidently has little in the way of optical coatings to improve visibility in bright conditions.

MenusThe DP2's menu features 21 settings provided in an old-style single list (but thankfully with circular navigation). The combination of button presses required to navigate and manipulate these settings takes some time to learn; it’s not exactly intuitive. The camera does feature a dedicated button for quickly changing frequently needed settings such as ISO. A completely separate "Setup" menu, which includes the memory card formatting function, is accessed somewhat oddly via the exposure program control dial.

Lock-ups and black-outsJust 33 frames into the camera’s life it completely froze after recording an image to a 4Gb Sandisk Extreme III memory card. The status data remained displayed on the screen but the image was black and the camera would not respond to any button presses. Only removal of the battery cured this electronic catatonia. These seizures became so common that after the seventh occurrence, at around 245 frames, I stopped counting them.

At around the 200th frame, however, the DP2 developed a new malady. As with lock-ups, the status data remained on screen but the image went black. Unlike the full lock-ups, however, the camera remained responsive to button presses. The camera is clearly unusable in such a state, but cycling the power brought it back to normal.

Battery lifeSigma claims that the average battery life for the DP2 is 250 shots. My own experience, in very moderate temperature conditions, is closer to 150–175.

SoftwareAt this writing the Sigma Photo Pro software provided with the camera is the only tool available for processing the DP2’s raw image files. To my surprise this software is really not bad at all. The Mac version was pretty snappy with a reasonably full complement of tonality adjustments. Sigma Photo Pro made working with the DP2’s X3F files relatively painless.

(N.b.: By the time you read this, Adobe will have issued a pre-release of the Camera Raw 5.4, which features support for the Sigma DP2.)

Closing thoughtsWhen Sigma finally introduced the long-awaited DP1 in 2008, many people rightly saluted the company for innovation. Innovations, however, must ultimately be integrated into products that represent genuine practical advancement. This is where I feel Sigma has failed thus far. The DP2 is simply not a competitive product with today’s other premium-priced compact digital cameras. I did not see any conspicuous persistent advantages from the Foveon sensor that would come close to counterbalancing the camera’s practical shortcomings. Frankly, I was not as impressed with the DP2’s Foveon technology as I was with its lens and the fact that it has such a relatively large sensor in such a small camera.

After using the DP2 daily for over a week I found it to be a sluggish,
noisy, unreliable, and generally charmless device which I ultimately
decided to return for a refund. That’s the bottom line of my opinion.

Given the recent advancements of the Micro Four-Thirds sensor format I expect several new compact cameras sporting these larger-than-standard-point-and-shoot sensors from Olympus and Panasonic in the near future. It will be a shame if Sigma is unable to leverage its investment in the Foveon X3 (which it now owns) in time to gain leadership in compact cameras. To do so, however, it will need to build better cameras around its sensors and lenses.

Featured Comment by Chris: "Being a happy owner of a DP2, I would agree with many of the points made here—the menus are a bit clunky, the focusing is noisy and slow, there is some weird WB out of camera. But after a few tweaks in Sigma Photo Pro the images simply sing. The amount of detail, quality of color and dynamic range are far more robust and professional than files generated by my Nikon D40. These qualities also translate well to black-and-white conversions. I love the minimalist, old-school, controls and simplicity and plan on getting the slightly over-priced viewfinder. But, the big thing for me is the fast ƒ/2.8 lens. Being able to shoot with a shallow depth of field with a compact digital is what I've been waiting for and is a big part of my photographic style."

Featured Comment by Andrew: "Sad but true. I bought one only because I had been anticipating it for so long, and I loved yet hated my DP1. Too late to return it. So much potential squandered."

Featured Comment by mcananeya: "How's this for a quirk of timing? Sigma just released a firmware update (http://www.sigma-dp.com/DP2/firmware.html) that supposedly improves autofocus performance and eliminates the camera lock-ups Ken described above. That obviously wouldn't change the noise and build-quality issues, but it's still unfortunate that Ken didn't get a chance to test a camera with the new firmware.

"I suppose that's the price you pay for being one of the first to review a camera...."

Featured Comment by Thomas Risberg: "That was a pretty poor review in my opinion. Not that I disagree with what you write, you seem to have uncovered some usability problems that exists for the DP1 as well. Nothing new here. You should however have tried a little harder to make use of the defining features of the camera which in my opinion are the sensor and a high quality lens on a pocket sized body. Looking around the web it doesn’t take long to find some excellent pictures taken with both the DP1 and DP2, so for you not even trying to produce some magic with this camera is disappointing and I expected a lot more from a review on TOP."

Featured Comment by Edward Taylor: "After my TOP review of the Sigma DP1, I used the camera for another few months. During that time I found that it did not give me reliable results. I occasionally got remarkable, "better than expected" images, but usually got images that could not measure up to my G9 or G10. Not to mention, the camera was so clunky to use. As a result, I missed so many shots that I stopped using it.

"Also, though I am not impressed with megapixel counts, I began to get annoyed with the claim that the camera was almost 15 megapixels. At times the resolution seemed limited to the 4–5 megapixels that it actually had. Under ideal conditions, the camera seemed to excel beyond its specs, but when do we ever have ideal conditions?

"Anyway, I was optimistic that Sigma would fix all these bugs with the DP2. They didn't. I had the camera for a brief time and returned it just as Ken did.

"My advice for a pocketable camera—go with the Canon G-10 or the Panasonic LX3 until Micro 4/3rds is a reality. Then re-evaluate the situation.

Comments

You've pretty much reviewed every Sigma digital camera. A quirky sensor capable of delivering some surprisingly good IQ when things go right, lenses much better than expected, unreliable and low-performance camera body that's 5 years behind the low-end of the competition.

Sigma's stuff would be interesting if they'd actually spend some time on the camera and processing rather than just releasing the first thing they could.

Interesting review. On the one hand I have a lot of respect for the definitiveness here-- you didn't like this camera and you're not afraid to say so. Too many camera reviews on the web are wishy washy and try to please everyone.

On the other hand, I take issue with this statement:

I did not see any conspicuous persistent advantages from the Foveon sensor that would come close to counterbalancing the camera’s practical shortcomings.

Given that you only include 4 images, and none of them are high resolution, it's hard for us as readers to make our own assessment.

Also, you didn't mention one of the major advantages to this camera compared to the Canon G10 and Panasonic DMC-LX3. That is, the ability of to isolate subjects with shallow depth of field. This is only possible because of the large sensor combined with the excellent f2.8 lens, and no other compact camera can match that ability at present.

I find it hard to believe that the reviewer could not find advantages in the Foveon sensor to outweigh the quirks of the camera. I am a DP1 owner who have confined my Pentax DSLR to a shelf after buying the DP1 for one reason. That sensor in a compact camera. To make such a noise about the build quality is strange to me. It is a camera in an alluminum alloy casing. However other manufacturers build their cameras, objectively speaking it is plenty rugged enough. I have lost mine in the ground several times and it is not even dented. That´s all I need to know. Yes it is slow, but I am not losing shots. Depends on your photography style I guess. Yes it is noisy, but crowds do not turn. Compared to a DSLR, even an M8, it is virtually noiseless. Yes the screen is bad, but the screen do not affect your photos.

I understand the points made, I do, I even agree to most. What I find more than a little strange is the fact that the IQ is so outrageously good compared to both of the cameras mentioned in the review as to render both obsolete. Particularly the dynamic range, which betters my Pentax. No other compact is even in the ballpark as of today.

Bottom line is that I too have owned many digital compacts, but I have gotten rid of every one after a short time, because I lost so many shots. Why? Because of blown out whites, noise in shadows under low ISO, and general poor IQ. Pictures that could not be used alongside my photos from DSLRs. The Sigma was the first to achieve this.

In my opinion this reviewer, alongside every review I read of the DP1 by gadget/camera sites, faults it for everything under the sun, except the IQ, which they allways admits blows every other compact off the shelf, yet even so rewards it with a very low grade. Yet they reward other compacts with more settings and buttons than you will ever need and 7 fps, even though the images do not stand up to the cheapest DSLR. Noise is one thing, some of the have this under control at least at base ISO, but not one of them can produce a dynamic range worthy of a DSLR.

I rarely use my DP1 under ISO 400.

For information, my DP1 has not once broken down or in any other way hampered my use of it. It is quite simply wonderful. My prints tell me so.

Not even a little bit surprising. The big mystery in this space is why Canon doesn't just build the damn DMD. They've clearly established the premium P&S market as viable, to the tune of three generations of G series cameras. The secret arrangement that dictates Nikon will build all the really cool DSLRs and the very worst compacts while Canon does the opposite seems to be holding up nicely. So where is our camera?

I could make the same statements about my DP2 as Ken, except my conclusion is very different. I find the images the camera produces at times magnificent, to the point where, for all it's shortcomings, I have carried it instead of my Panasonic LX3. I shoot with a 40mm viewfinder and zone focus, so I haven't found the autofocus a problem. Also, I have processed many of my pictures in B & W, so color casts haven't been an issue.

The real problem for me has been the black screen freeze Ken describes, which is why my DP2 is in Sigma's service dept. at this moment.

But, assuming it is truly repaired, it will stay in my camera bag for the image quality as it fits in with what I want in a camera.

Thanks Ken. I feel like an innocent bystander following the Sigma DP saga. I really wanted them to succeed with the DP1. When it was clear they wouldn't, I *really* wanted them to learn from their mistakes and succeed with the DP2.

While I've read more good reviews about the DP2 than the DP1, this is clearly not the camera it could have been. Will Sigma finally get it right with the DP3? I'm afraid they have no choice, because while we can forgive one, even two errors, nobody is going support Sigma if the DP3 isn't a great camera.

While I've never owned a Sigma camera, the idea of them that I have, based on countless comments on the net, is exactly what Adam said: A sensor capable of great things...every once in a while, when the rest of the camera lets it do its thing and the planets are aligned just so.

If Olympus get their micro-4/3 P&S camera right, the DP series will be history. What a shame that would be.

Sigma has posted a firmware update for its DP2 large-sensor digital compact camera. Version 1.01 improves auto focus and reduces the intermittent freezing of the camera that can occur under certain conditions. The update is available for immediate download from Sigma's website.

Many thanks for the review Ken. I was on the fence with the camera, leaning more towards purchasing it despite all of the shortcomings that are being consistently voiced. The SLR-like image quality from a compact body made me want to look at the camera through rose colored glasses.

Thank goodness the camera is not in stock, otherwise I would have already purchased it.

Ken, your review confirms my initial impression of the DP1 which I picked up at a camera show last year. Expecting great things from the camera, based on its specifications (yeah, I know...) I was immediately confronted with one of the cheaper-feeling cameras I've ever used. It gave me that same feeling of confidence I had as a boy, shooting with an Agfamatic 50.

So anyway, I spent about 5 minutes trying to find something likeable or charming about the DP1 and walked away disappointed.

Umm, Sigma recently released a firmware upgrade that is supposed to address the locking up, and maybe the focussing too. Not sure if that would have helped, but it is possible that things are better now.

Lock ups are already solved with the 1.0.1 firmware update out yesterday...it may affect color too, I've not processed any shots to be sure. One thing to understand about Sigma is they are good at addressing early issues through a number of firmware updates to new cameras.

I don't get the build quality comment at all. The body is mostly metal and pretty solid--I have (unfortunately) dropped mine twice onto concrete from a fair height and the body did not "turn into a parts list." Instead there was a small dent on the corner of the body, and that was it--it works fine otherwise. I have dropped other electronics that felt more dense and have them fail working altogether, so density alone is not a good measure of durability.

I really, really want to like Sigma's cameras. My first serious long lens was the (relatively) affordable Sigma manual focus 500 mm f:4.5; it was remarkably sharp when used carefully. The company now makes lenses that are seriously competitive with the best lenses from the main camera makers. Their 50 mm f:1.4 is beautiful (if huge), and optically superior to both Canon & Nikon equivalents, especially for low-light environmental portraits taken near wide-open apertures.

Unfortunately they don't appear to be able to translate their optical excellence to camera ergonomics and design. For all the theoretical virtues of the Foveon sensor, Sigma's D-SLR's are still clunky and awkward with mediocre autofocus. And now it sounds like the DP-2 is another case of great lens, adequate sensor, and bad execution. Sigh.

It seems Panasonic has done something outstanding and hard-to-do with the G1 and GH1, particularly the screen and the autofocus speed. The latter is one of the main things for me in a compact camera. I want instant reaction.
I hope Olympus' offering comes much closer to that than to the DP2.

Probably an unfair comment, but Sigma has always seemed to me to be a very sales-niche oriented company. I think their sales guys saw an opening and ordered up something together to fill it. What they put together was like Sigma lenses -- sometimes good, often not, with considerable variation in quality because while the design is okay, the materials and assembly are usually the cheapest available, that will still do the job.

The DP2 is not the camera we're waiting for -- but the new Olympus m4/3 might be, especially if it has either an optional optical view finder or (as rumored) the follow-up camera does. A really good m4/3 sensor with top-quality Olympus interchangeable lenses would do it for me...

I replaced a Canon G9 with a DP2. The G9 might feel more solid but it's next to useless optical viewfinder and it's abysmal high ISO performance outweigh its non-photographic superiority to the DP2.

There is a lot to be disappointed about in the DP2 but image quality is not one of them. The battery life sucks, the AF is slow and noisy, the menus are all over the place, etc. None of them are showstoppers for me.

Regardless, its image quality blows away many cameras and not just G-class Canons or L-class Panasonics. It renders some of the best B&W digital images I've ever seen. "Film-like" really means something with this camera.

I really wanted this to be a good camera. I travel with a camera all the time and have to lug my Canon 5D along in order to get the image quality that I like. Why can't someone make a decent small digital camera? All I ask for is fast focus, and sharp corner to corner images without vignette. A fixed 32mm lens would be perfect. I don't need a zoom, or image stabilization, or video.

Earlier this month, I returned the DP-1 I bought during Amazon's recent one-day $399 sale; today, I returned the DP-2 I bought in its place.

Some of my favorite images from last year were shot with the DP-1 I owned (and accidentally destroyed) last summer. No doubt some of my favorite images for this year would likewise have been shot with the replacement DP-1 and DP-2, except that I find these cameras so awkward and unpleasant to use, IMO their good qualities (which are very good indeed) only partially mitigate their bad ones.

On the other hand, the DMC-G1 I bought on a whim and was actually predisposed to dislike for a number of reasons (not the least of which is the faux-DSLR styling), is actually turning out to be a pleasant surprise, both in terms of operation as well as performance.

I've given Sigma two chances thus far (three, if you count the fact I bought a DP-1 twice!) and I'll probably give them yet another chance if/when the DP-3 is ever introduced, but, unfortunately, I'm no longer very optimistic about their ability to succeed with this line of cameras.

My goodness! After seeing a few early comments I returned late Wednesday evening to find an explosion of comments. I also see that Sigma has released a firmware update to fix some of the DP2’s roughest edges. Gee...I guess that Mike’s TOP has some influence! The best gear articles here are ones where the TOP community chimes-in to offer a bouquet of thoughtful comments, debates, and insights. I’d say that this qualifies.

I’d like to offer just a few follow-up remarks.

Like Geoff, Dave, and many others I also really wanted to like the DP2. We actually got off to a very good start. I had been very ill for over two weeks before the DP2 arrived. I was facing a small time-sensitive assignment but was still a bit too wobbly to carry the gear I might normally use for the job. So as soon as the DP2’s battery was charged I enlisted it for active duty, although I expected to get little more than some preliminary compositions for the “real” shoot. But the DP2 images turned out so well that the client decided they were good enough for their print application. Job done...terrific! (And the camera already nearly paid for itself.)

But the DP2 is weakly analogous to a talented athlete with behavioral problems and a variety of character faults. It’s a bounty of potential wrapped in a flawed package. Sigma’s firmware updates (which I fully expected to be forthcoming) may remedy the most fixable behavioral issues but the character flaws are intrinsic to the package. So despite a great first game I knew that the DP2 would always be a weak sister to me and rarely called into the lineup. (Ugh, sorry.)

I have long believed that the only thing that counts in photography is the final printed image. The means and medium by which it was created are of distantly secondary importance. But it’s also true that photography, especially amateur photography, is at least as much about the journey as the destination for many people. If using the Sigma DP2 enhances your enjoyment of photography more power to you! Don't let my opinion diminish your fun. Coaxing the DP2 to consistently perform to its potential, and learning to work with what the camera offers, may not be my cup of tea but I’ve certainly seen and demonstrated that it’s a beverage with potential rewards for the determined and patient owner.

I am a DP1 owner. I have had great results with this little camera. Being a fan of wide angle lenses I am not planning to buy the DP2 but had hoped for improvements in many areas such as AF and LCD...sounds like it hasn't happened yet. I have however dropped my DP1 more than once...still works fine. Guess it's more solid than it feels.

On a handful of occasions I've left the DP1 at home and used a Nikon DSLR. This is usually for the speed and ease of use of the DSLR. What I invariably find though is that I've wasted my time. The images just don't quite get there. Before using the DP1 many of these images would be "Selects" but now they're culls.

I can see that under ideal conditions a DSLR is capable of delivering images close to my DP1...but as mentioned above...how often do we have ideal conditions?

I like my DP1, or rather, I like the way some of the pictures I've taken with it look. It's a shame that the DP2 doesn't seem to have addressed some of its shortcomings. I think a Foveon sensor in a well built (i.e. not plasticky) camera with decent autofocus and good firmware would rock.
Doesn't seem much worth in trading in my DP1 for a DP2.

I'm just hoping that if Olympus do announce the digital reincarnation of the Pen that they give it a decent viewfinder. I hate having to squint at an LCD in sunny weather!

Trying to evaluate the DP2 from internet reports has been a study in schizophrenia.

Preproduction cameras in talented hands have produced amazingly good photos with excellent color, WB, a strong 3-D sense, and sharpness. Easily as good as a Canon 20D with an L lens as evidenced by original-sized photos. Gorgeous B&W conversions with butter-smooth tones.

And then the production cameras came out. And we see shots from non pros. And we see copies of the DP2 that seem incapable of taking anything BUT a severely green tinged picture. Other ghastly color rendition problems. Reports of camera death, clunky focus, etc.

And worst of all, the new version of Sigma's RAW converter having severe issues with blown-out whites - much worse than the previous version.

Sigh.

First tentative reports are that the new firmware update has improved the focus and lock up issues. Hopefully, someone will devise a convertor that recovers both highlights AND image detail simultaneously. Unfortunately, the new ACR is not that program.

Thanks for the review... that's disappointing on it's downfalls... I had been anticipating this to have as my 'carry-all-around' camera, solely for it's fast lens, which is a rarity in the point and shoot camera world sadly. Guess I will go with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, which is also more reasonably priced.

From the comments, there seems to be a significant divergence of opinion, and user experience.

Being interested is a small camera with a "large" sensor, and very fond of the "normal" perspective as far as lenses, the DP2 has been of great interest to me, even with its over-priced external optical finder (which for me would be a necessity).

The review has certainly given me pause, re the color cast and mechanical aspects.

Sean Reid has started a multi-part review of the Leica version of the Panasonic LX3, which i will also be following with interest.

I do hope though, that someone, someday, will make a reasonably priced digital camera, with a lens like the DP2's, that has a "large" sensor, a optical viewfinder that is not absurdly priced, and that is ergonomically simple and mechanically sound. Given the niche nature of such a device though, that may be asking to much these days.

Recently bought DP2 to go with my DP1. Ok - it's slow and the menus are not always easy to navigate -BUT the image quality can be outstanding on both. Have used DP1 for landscapes and am using DP2 for portrait and still-lifes. The cameras may be rather behind the times in some respects but it's hard to argue with the results! Look at Jim Radcliffe's DP1 images in boxedlight.com! New firmware seems to have improved DP2.
My only problem so far has been the PhotoPro software which has frozen a few times during editing and has had to be re-started.

Posted by: cclee: "I'm seeing a dust patch on the upper right side of the sample picture showing the skyscrapers!"

You sure are. It was actually a spot on the lens.

You may also notice that the tall building appears a bit mottled. That's not a compression error. The weather had been a bit wet for several days and the building's granite facade panels darken when they're damp. The DP2's lens was good enough to quite accurately record these variations.

I don't get it, Ken. You seem to have missed the point of the DP2. Yes, the LCD is bad, but that is a deal breaker only if you are a snapshooter who uses the LCD to show pictures of the kiddies birthday party to coworkers. Yes, the AF is noisy and works poorly. But I have yet to see any camera, film or digital, P&S or SLR, that works really well in sub-optimal conditions. This is a compact digital for those who want manual control and exceptional IQ. What is amazing also is that so many people will read your review and take it as gospel without using the camera and making up their own mind.

I own a DP1 and tolerate its coarse and hard-to-view-in-bright-sunlight LCD, and slow RAW write speeds, and inconsistent AF for one reason only: the amazing images the very sharp lens and Foveon sensor are able to produce. I’ve used the Canon G9 and Panasonic LX2 and always felt their RAW output just fell short of what I saw. Cameras are just tools to fulfill a vision. Sometimes those tools dovetail nicely with your intuitive approach, sometimes they get in the way. The Sigma cameras don’t make it easy, and only the individual can judge through use whether they lend themselves to fulfilling his vision or not. I had a SD14 and returned it because its problems (inconsistent AF, super coarse LCD of 150,000 pixels, and lock-ups/freezes) became intolerable and got in the way of creativity. Unfortunately for those of us who love the Foveon color output there is no other game but Sigma.

@ Dave: The poor lcd was not a "deal-breaker". But it is a persistent annoying shortcoming that, within the larger body of persistent annoying shortcomings, I did not feel was appropriate for a such a premium-priced compact camera. YOU may never look at the screen but I sure as hell do as I periodically change settings and check the histogram. It's a pure cheap-out and margin-maintainers for Sigma.

I personally think this is a weird review, focused on issues like build quality (what does that really mean?), noise (yes, it's a little noisy in a quiet room in doors, but I can't hear it outside at all, where I use it most of the time), and the LCD (who cares?). I bought this camera on day one for what I hoped would be great image quality, period. Even in fine jpeg mode the results are great, but the raw files have astounded me. I'm not a professional by any means, but this camera made me a better photographer. So my advice is spend some time with this camera before you judge it too harshly, and I think you're going to be really excited once you get to know it. Features like the manual focus come in really handy, and the aperture (and thus depth of field) is astounding for a camera of this size, price, and convenience.

I just bought a DP2 today! Just came out in the Netherlands. I already own the DP1 and love that camera. I simply do not understand all those negative comments, the DP1 is the first compact which produce photos you never can make with any compact today, except the DP2. It is such a joy to play with DOF and on the F2.8 DP2 even more. Green color cast? Not in RAW 5.4. Slow? Yes, I agree, does it bother me? Not in the least. The DP2 is much faster, but still is a camera where you have to take the time. Sluggish, noisy, unreliable? My Canon 5D makes more noise, have not had one problem and I like the feel and look of the black minimalistic camera. I admire Sigma for taking this step, making a compact which is unique in every way. If you buy a Lotus, are you also complaining about the small luggage space?